The biggest known carnivorous marsupial of the modern era – the Tasmanian tiger - or thylacine - went extinct in the early 20th century. Now, researchers have found that a distant, ancient relative of the thylacine was able to hunt down prey larger than itself.

The Australian federal government has approved a proposal to dump three million cubic meters (106 million cubic feet) of sediment in the Great Barrier Reef, enraging conservationists who believe the move could threaten the world’s largest coral reef system.

Australian researchers set out to study the effects of climate change and temperature dynamics around the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its critical protected areas. They were able to record and analyze major changes around the reef within the past 25 years.